Mycobee Mushrooms CIC in their own words
We are Mycobee Mushrooms CIC, a social enterprise dedicated to exploring the fascinating Kingdom of Fungi and sharing its benefits with our communities.
In June 2023, we began working with the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden and relocated fully into the garden the following month. As a Community Interest Company, we partner with GCWG, local charities, community groups and small businesses to support better mental and physical wellbeing. Through fungi gardens and educational activities, we promote sustainable growing techniques that improve soil health and help to produce nutritious food.
Our team, together with volunteers and mycologists, focuses on research into the many uses of fungi, including biodiversity, mycovermicomposting and mycoremediation. As a non-profit, we also provide accessible volunteering and learning opportunities for people who would like to grow gourmet mushrooms for food but cannot afford full-price workshops.
We care deeply about medicinal mushrooms and fungi diversity in Scotland. We collaborate with mycologists and researchers around the world to learn and to share knowledge.
Mycobee Mushrooms began in North Berwick in 2019. We moved briefly to East Kilbride before unexpected circumstances led to another move in 2023. Since joining the Walled Garden, we have been building our own little mushroom haven there.
We have delivered a growing programme of community workshops and events at the garden:
- 2023: four mushroom growing workshops in June and August
- participation in the Harvest Festival (September)
- Majestic Fungi exhibition and talks (November)
- 2024-25: 25+ workshops so far, including Community Mushroom Farming, MycoKids: fungi fun for children, Living Fungi: the art and science of cultivation, Wild Fungi: safe foraging plus exhibitions and Doors Open Days and more
We now have a thriving mushroom corner at GCWG where we grow Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus); Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor); Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula judae), Wine Caps (Stropharia rugosoannulata) and King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii). We hope to see Dryad’s Saddle appear next year on sycamore logs that are already colonised by this species.
We celebrated our 5th Anniversary in December 2024. Sadly, soon after, winter storms damaged our growing area and forced us to start again. Thanks to hard work and community support, we now have a more stable shaded growing structure and many exciting plans for the future. Join us on 20 December 2025 when we celebrate our 6th Anniversary!
Meet the Mycobee Team
Mario: Co-Founder & Production Director
A lifelong grower and forager from Poland, where food cultivation and mushroom hunting are everyday skills. Mario brings technical and survival expertise from his service with special forces unit 1 PSK. He dreams of forest gardens where people can grow and share food freely and he loves experimenting with new techniques and species.
Bea: Co-Founder & Managing Director
Bea grew up foraging mushrooms and growing vegetables as part of daily life. She studied Biology & Chemistry and Civil Engineering, and later trained in Mycotherapy at the Mykotroph Institute in Germany. Bea photographs fungi, researches Scottish species and has developed the Mycobee Fungi Library with over 400 local specimens.
We are very grateful to be part of Granton Castle Walled Garden – a place where we can share what we have learned, build community, and help make growing food more sustainable using recycled materials such as cardboard, spent substrate, woodchip and more.
We look forward to continuing to support the garden, improve soil health locally, and bring people together through fungi.
Mush love to everyone,
Bea & Mario
Mycobee Mushrooms CIC